Summer 2005 - 113 West Johanna

Mark Switzer is cutting back on his landscape design and maintenance business to be able to spend more time at home with his wife, Beverly Redden, and two young children. It’s allowed him in just one short year to create a beautiful yard filled with history and a love of land stewardship.

This “welcoming arm” landscape design invites you to visit this historic South Austin home. Colorful flowers and plants encircle the front turf area with color and texture.

Mark has contrasted the formal structure of succulents with perennial natives and...transported his great grandmother’s irises from house to house over the years.

The greenhouse in the side yard next to the vegetable garden stands ready for fall production when he’ll also add a rainwater harvesting system to the home. A large compost pile in the back yard nourishes the extensive landscape

A 69 cent cluster of Bunching Onions was planted near the sidewalk and has been blooming since spring

Mark has some simple tricks to create habitat – he’s planted succulents in this decaying tree for interest and leaves old branches perched throughout the yard to attract visitors – in this case a beautiful red dragonfly. The dragonfly sits in front of his grandmother’s 35 year old Christmas Cactus.

A perfect case of recycling (and avoiding a trip to the landfill!), Mark has converted an old bathtub into a pond with a small recirculating pump. The water lilies and the 25 year old tropical plants surrounding the pond create a lush, cool feel in the hot, Texas summer.